Re: [scots-l] Tempos

[Sue Richards]

My apologies to those of you outside the US. Most of this only applies here.

At 07:29 AM 1/16/03 -0800, you wrote:

  You must be "judging" players other than fiddlers, because several of
the "champion" fiddlers here in the US are about as interesting to
listen to on a recording as cold oatmeal. There's no expression there,
it's all been replaced by very well-polished precision. They're not
really making music,

        Some people record too soon, before they know how to keep the excitement going in the studio. Live recordings are nearly always better.

they've turned it into a foot race or a
figure-skating competition. Which traditional music isn't. As soon as
that happens, traditional music has been damaged, then we might as well
be classical musicians memorizing Scottish tunes off of sheet music.
That's not why I'm into this. As far as I am concerned, that's not what
traditional/folk music is about.
  Ask Paul Cranford what this music is about and he'll answer with one
word "people.."

        I don't know, Toby. I don't get a feeling for what you would really like music to be like here in the US. You want live music for dancing, people learning tunes from their elders, most of the population playing instruments and dancing, and no recorded music, from what I gather. I agree, that would be wonderful. But it will only happen in little pockets of civilization around the country. What about the rest of us? Recorded music IS being sold everywhere, people ARE buying instruments and wanting instruction, without knowing anything about Scotland.

>          Third, some of music IS about sheer skill, on the upper levels,
> and the winning musician has a combination of skill, concentration,
> stamina, creativity, and interpretation.


  We're obviously coming from some very different frames of reference
here. We're talking about traditional music here, not a recital at
University for a music performance degree. The "winning musician" to me
is anyone who works for a living all day, doing anything from trying to
teach screaming little kids, to taking orders in a restaurant, to
delievering packages in the dead of winter,  then coming home and
devoting what little free time they have left to trying to play
something.

        I agree. But if that musician lives in a place where the music has lots of other influences than trad Scottish, and suspects that his buddies have wandered from the straight path, and is too poor to go study in Scotland, but wants to check up on his playing, then why not go to a comp and get a critique? In your scheme of things, there would be no recorded music or travelling musicians, since they all stay home and play for the dances.

  Seriously, most of my favorite players are really technically not the
best. Some of them don't even play within "normal" intonation. Some of
them I am actually technically am a better player then. Yet they have
something which makes their music really real, immediate, and they have
a sound that is distinctly their own.

        Yup. Me too.

 I think the best way to learn the idiom is to spend alot of time
listening to as many non-commerical recordings of players as possible, go
to house parties, festivals, dances and to pay people visits at their
houses. I've learned more about this music over cups of tea in kitchens
then I have anywhere else.

        I agree, but those opportunities are so rare and there are hundreds of miles to go to find them, for most people. You and I are just fortunate. So they go to Games, but the Games only want to schedule things that draw in large crowds and make money at the gate. Someone has to convince the powers that they should be supporting sessions and dances. All Games have the capacity to be really good trad music festivals, why are we not out there running for the board and trying to change it??? If you hate comps, why blah, blah, blah....

 Resume? Folk musicians are generally not professional musicians. They're
normal people who work for a living. Heck, even William Marsall wasn't a
professional musician. Obviously that's not a hard and fast rule, today
or in the past, and certainly plenty of folk musicians (including myself)
have had formal training on their insturments.
 Honestly, most of the rest of the world doesn't give a damned about
traditional music competitions. Most of the rest of the world doesn't
really care about traditional music, period. It's just us. If there
aren't attempts to spread interest in it on a grassroots level, it will
slowly die.

        True. And I am spreading it on a grassroots level, believe me. But my scheme includes comps. I am not a snob, I just want people to hear music played well, with an explanation from the judge if it wasn't excellent. The best games have a workshop and session to accompany the comp.
        

>
>          No, people get asked back to most gigs if they are minimally
> competant, clean, nicely dressed (well, not always), and easy to get
> along  with. Only the most discriminating know when you are playing
> well. People  will listen to anything and tell you it is good. I think
> you need the  opinion of an expert/mentor/judge if you are to really
> improve.


 What? I can't believe you said this.. I'm taking this as incredibly
elitist. Maybe that's not how you meant it to sound, but that's the way
I'm taking it.

        Take it however you want. I am not an elitist. And I stand by it; it's good advice. I think a lot of people don't know what to do to improve, and don't realize whats wrong when it doesn't sound right, and they don't feel comfortable asking their peers, and don't have anyone to go to for lessons. I am talking about the boondocks here, not San Francisco or D.C. or Seattle or Boston.

        Sue